


Scars and Bruises

by glitch_b1tch0



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Bruises, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Scars, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, Unsympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:42:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25626892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitch_b1tch0/pseuds/glitch_b1tch0
Summary: Virgil is being held and abused by someone he thought was his friend.TW: Self harm mentions, abuse, blood, swearing
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders
Comments: 7
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!  
> So, this is my first story on here. (I hope y'all like it.)

Virgil and Roman walked home together. They both worked at the same convenience store a few blocks away. As they walked side by side, they stayed mostly quiet. This wasn’t unusual for them, seeing as though Virgil didn’t like to talk a whole lot. The two had been friends since their sophomore year of high school, but they’ve known each other since 3rd grade. They’re both friends with Logan and Patton as well. They’re their old school’s most connected group of friends. They basically don’t do anything without at least one of the other three.  
While they walked, the Emo pulled his patch-work jacket tighter around himself. Roman always wondered why he always wore his jacket, but never asked. Instead, he asked, “So, nice weather, right?”  
“Too bright for me…” Virgil spoke in a somewhat grumpy tone and pulled his hood over his head, trying to block out as much of the light as possible, but ended up failing. The two walked for a few more minutes before Roman got up the courage, after admiring the pale boy next to him, to ask. “Hey, Virge? I have a question.”  
“I have an answer.” The Emo sassily replied.  
“Why do you always wear your jacket?”  
Roman’s question caused Virgil to almost freeze where he stood. “No reason, I just find it very comfortable.” He spoke in a much quieter and softer tone than before. Roman didn’t notice, but his best friends’ voice was wavering ever so slightly.  
As they walked, they continued talking a bit, laughing every now and then. Virgil looked around at the familiar houses and the familiar trees and sidewalks and cars. He had never been able to travel for.. Reasons. Roman and the others had always tried to invite him to leave the small town and go out of state. The three of them went to Disney World, somewhere Virgil had always wanted to go. He cried for weeks because he wasn’t allowed to go. It was the same way when his friends went on a summer trip to Los Angeles. The boy was heartbroken that he wasn’t able to go with them to the places he has always wanted to go.  
Virgil was knocked from his sad thoughts when Roman tapped on his shoulder. The two of them had stopped outside of Roman’s house, Patton standing on the front porch, and he could see Logan looking down from the second story through his bedroom window.  
“I’m gonna head inside now, okay Virge?” Roman told him with a smile. Patton came down and hugged Roman as Virgil nodded. They said their goodbye’s and Roman went back to the porch with Patton. Virgil hesitated to leave and stood on the sidewalk, looking down at the ground. Patton noticed when he turned around to wave to Virgil. Patton began thinking he was sad and got an idea.  
“Hey, Virge! You wanna spend the night?” Patton added from where he stood, a hopeful smile on his face. Virgil felt a tug of guilt when he told the happy boy, “I don’t think so.. Sorry, Pat.” He gave a sad smile to Patton, getting an even sadder one in return. Patton ran down and gave the Emo a hug. “It’s okay, kiddo. Maybe next time.” Patton spoke.  
“Yeah..” Virgil spoke quietly. “Maybe next time…” He knew those words were all he would say to the poor boy. He returned the hug and a moment later, Patton pulled away and waved goodbye, heading inside with Roman at his side. He almost felt jealous that the Prince was around Patton so much, but there was nothing he could do. He didn’t want to be like…  
When he heard the sound of the door closing, he looked down at his phone and panicked when he saw the time. 4:36 p.m.. He was supposed to be home by 4:30. Virgil threw his phone in his pocket and ran down the street, trying to get home as soon as possible. Roman was looking out the window and saw his best friend run off seemingly panicked. This caused Roman to worry, but he shook it off as the boy just wanting to get home faster. He’s seen Virgil run off before, so this wasn’t new to him. It still worried him, though, seeing him run off so much. Roman has even seen Virgil run off in the middle of an outing with their friends before, always around the same time… Scenarios started to run through the Prince’s head, and they all led back to one.

Virgil ran for about 10 minutes before reaching his house, standing outside for a minute to catch his breath. He heard the front door open and nearly felt his heart stop. His head shot up, relieved to see Janus, the boy he’s always considered a brother. “Virge, you might wanna hurry. He’s furious.” Janus spoke in a quiet, yet somewhat scared voice. Inside, there was a loud crash, the sound of glass breaking. Virgil ran up to the porch and through the door, looking in on a destroyed living room. The couch was flipped, there were broken picture frames, the lamps were on the ground… It was a mess.  
In the center of it all was a FURIOUS Remus. When he heard Virgil’s rushed footsteps, he turned around, staring holes into the pale boy. Suddenly, he lunged at the boy and threw him to the ground. “What did I say about being LATE?!?” Remus yelled, not caring that Virgil was laying on the ground, nearly in tears.  
“I-I’m sorry.. It w-won’t happen a-again..” Virgil spoke quietly but making sure he was loud enough for Remus to hear. He felt even more scared when he realized he stuttered, knowing that was something Remus hated.  
Suddenly, Virgil felt a terrible, yet all-too-familiar stinging sensation in his cheek. “You said that last time!” Remus yelled, picking Virgil up off of the floor by his shirt collar. Janus managed to push his way in between the two, doing his best to shove Remus away from Virgil. Remus raised his hand to hit Janus. “You don’t wanna do this, Jan.” Remus spoke in a deep, horrifying voice. Janus looked back at Virgil and mouthed an “I’m sorry” before being pushed away by their abuser.  
Janus was always too afraid of being hurt to stand up for the boy who he saw as a brother. Instead of his skin being littered with scars and bruises, he was written with guilt for not being able to help Virgil in some way. The guilt was always showing on Janus’ face when he let himself be pushed away, watching the boy who he’s always considered a brother gets beaten by someone they both thought was their friend.  
“No dinner for you.” Remus threw Virgil into the wall, watching as he slid down it in pain. “Get your ass in your room, or it’ll be a lot worse.” Venom was laced in his words as he turned and walked away from the two boys. Virgil hurriedly got up and quietly made his way to his room, shutting his door once he entered. He sat down on his bed, staring at his blank walls. His eyes were red and puffy from tears that had formed when he had been hit.  
He sighed quietly and rubbed the tears away as they fell, holding back sobs that fought to escape. His frail body shook with fear and pain. He was hungry and cold. He was basically broken. The only light in this dark turn to the day was when he heard the sound of his phone going off, letting him know that someone had texted him. When he checked the lit up screen, a small smile formed on his bruising face.

Princey<3: Hey, Virge!

Emo Nightmare: What’s up, Princey.

Princey<3: Could I come over for a bit?

Emo Nightmare: Sorry, Princey, not tonight.

Princey<3: Oh, okay. Well, I have something for you, so do you wanna meet tomorrow?

Emo Nightmare: Sure.

Princey<3: See ya tomorrow then! Good night, Virgil (:

Emo Nightmare: G’night, Princey.

Virgil’s smile faltered as soon as he set his phone down on his bed beside him. He felt guilty that Roman had to spend his time and money on him. Virgil felt more tears fall down his pale face just thinking of what he must have done to force Roman to have to buy or make him things.  
A knock on his door ripped Virgil from his thoughts. His heart stopped, fearing it might have been Remus. He quickly got up and opened his bedroom door. His rapidly beating heart slowed down when he realized Janus was the one standing at the door, a plate in hand.  
“Here, take this.” Janus spoke quietly, holding out the plate. “It’s a bit cold, but it’s chicken nuggets. They’re good either way.”  
Virgil gently pushed the plate back. “I can’t..” He sighed quietly. “What if Remus finds out? You’ll be in a lot of trouble.”  
“I can’t let you starve. You’ve barely eaten at all in the last month. I know Remus takes your money so you can’t buy anything at work...” Janus said, running a hand through his hair. “Just take it, Virge.” He basically shoved the plate into Virgil’s hands. Virgil flinched slightly at the abrupt movement, and that caused Janus to feel bad. He whispered a quiet “good night” before shutting Virgil’s door and going back to his own room.  
Virgil shook his head slightly with a small smile, going to sit down at his desk. He placed the plate down in front of him and quickly ate the few chicken nuggets that were there, barely leaving any crumbs behind. He was glad he had someone to live with that wasn’t a total asshole…

Virgil woke up, not even remembering falling asleep after eating. He sat up, his back aching as he stretched out in the wooden desk chair. He felt even more tired than he did the night before. He looked down at his phone, seeing a message from none other than Roman.

Princey<3: Let’s meet half-way like usual <3

Virgil felt a small smile form on his face. He stood up and stretched out, grabbing some clothes and heading to his bathroom to take a shower. As he undressed, he looked in the mirror. He started at the faded purple hair on his head and made his way down to his face. On one cheek, there was a small scar underneath his eye along with light freckles. On the other was a large, black bruise in the shape of Remus’ hand. On his neck was the faint, almost completely healed bruise that came from Remus’ hands as well. His chest was covered in small bruises and so many tiny scars. Same with his arms, stomach and legs. Every inch of him was covered in scars and bruises.  
He forced his head away from the mirror and stepped into the ice-cold shower. Remus gets up and immediately uses every single drop of hot water, leaving Janus and Virgil the ice-cold water that they’re now used to and have been for three years.  
Three years… Virgil found it hard to believe that it had been three years of living with his two friends. He thought back to high school, when he still lived with his parents. His mother worked as a receptionist at the local hospital and his father was a factory worker. Janus was kicked out during their sophomore year when his parents found out he was gay, so Virgil’s parents let him live with them. That’s when the two grew closer and began to see each other as brothers.  
Virgil and Janus met Remus during that year. He had been homeschooled until that point, his choice. Everyone was shocked to find out that THE Roman Princeton had a twin brother, and he was basically his polar opposite. Roman was a huge Disney and Musical nerd - He still is. Remus, on the other hand… He’s obsessed with lewd comedy, extreme gore, and many other horrifying and gruesome things.  
Roman thought Virgil and Remus would get along, since they had some of the same interests. They both loved horror movies, gore, and terrible rom-coms that they always laughed at and for some reason always cried over. Those two were more likely to be twins than Remus and Roman. They were inseparable at the time.  
Things quickly changed near the end of their senior year. A month before the end of school, two months before graduation, Remus became clingy. He always wanted, no, needed Virgil by his side. Virgil was always forced to be at the twins’ house, and his parents were starting to get worried. God, his parents… He hadn’t had the chance to talk to them in years…  
Virgil basically lived at the twins’ house because he wasn’t allowed to leave. Once school ended, he was basically trapped there. His parents had managed to get him home to a more familiar space a few times, but each time Remus has dragged him back. That man had forced Virgil to miss graduation, to throw away all of the acceptance letters - even to his dream college. Remus made Virgil miss out on so many things that he had always wanted to do.  
Once Roman moved in with Patton and Logan, all three going to the local college in the city, Remus got a place of his own. Virgil was forced to move in with him. Janus was only asked to move in a month after the two had everything in the new house. Janus was ecstatic to move in with his two best friends, but was even more excited to see the friend he hadn’t talked to in months.  
When Janus actually moved in, though… He realized it might have been a mistake. The second he walked in for the first time, he noticed how wrecked the place was, and how a bruised and broken Virgil was down on his knees, scrubbing his own blood out of the carpet. Janus tried to get help for the boy, but was threatened by Remus each and every time. Janus was too scared of Remus, so he kept his mouth shut. As long as he did what he was told, he would be treated like a normal human being, not a slave and a punching bag.  
Two years later, a year prior to now, Remus allowed Virgil to get a job. So he did. Virgil got a job at a convenience store about 4 blocks away. He walked because he wasn’t allowed to drive, and he had to have his phone on him and his location turned on, or else he would be in a world of hurt if Remus found out he was anywhere but work, or Roman’s house.  
The convenience store is where he met Roman for the second time. On his first day, he walked in and saw someone familiar stocking a shelf in the back corner. Virgil nearly ran to the familiar man and engulfed him in a hug. Instead, he stood behind the counter, admiring him from the other side of the store. He realized that Roman had grown to be more handsome than he was in high school.  
That day was the best day he had had ever since the last day of high school. Roman told Remus that he had met Virgil again. Roman honestly had no idea that his best friend - crush had lived with his brother. When Remus found out, he was furious. He beat Virgil until he couldn’t move for a week. When Virgil went back to work, Roman questioned why he was gone so long, but Virgil brushed it off as him spraining his ankle and not being able to walk.

This same cycle continued up until the present day.

The same pain Virgil was going through had continued, but he got used to it.

He got used to not walking for days, not eating for weeks.

He was used to the abuse.

Virgil stepped out of the shower, quickly drying off and getting dressed. He wore his usual outfit: A grey, long-sleeved shirt with his black skinny jeans, black converse and his black and purple patch-work jacket. He wiped off the mirror and put on some concealer to hide the hand-shaped bruise on his face. Once he was satisfied and sure it was fully covered, he nodded to himself.  
His hair dripped as he stepped back into his room, fully dressed and ready to leave. Virgil grabbed his phone off of his desk and made his way out of his room. He tip-toed down the stairs, peaking around the corner of the banister to see if Remus was awake or not. When he saw Remus sleeping peacefully on the couch, he quietly made his way down the rest of the stairs and towards the door. When he reached it, he quietly unlocked and opened the door, closing it behind him as he stepped out onto the porch. He took out his key and locked it so Remus couldn’t tell he had left. Afterwards, he stepped onto the sidewalk and made his way towards Roman’s house.  
About fifteen minutes later, Virgil heard rushed footsteps coming towards him, causing him to flinch a bit. “What happened to your face?” The familiar voice of Roman asked worriedly.  
“What’re you talking about?” Virgil asked in a clueless manner. He mentally cursed himself for not double checking that it was completely covered before leaving.  
“You’re trying to tell me you didn’t notice this giant bruise on the side of your face?!” Roman was nearly yelling. Virgil took a small step back. He knew his friend was worried, but him raising his voice wasn’t helping at all.  
“Oh, that.” Virgil gave a small chuckle. “I slipped and hit my cheek really hard on something. No big deal.”  
Roman could tell by Virgil’s body language that he wasn’t telling the truth. He has always been able to tell that Virgil was lying, but never said anything about it, too afraid to ask. “If you say so. I hope it heals well.” Roman gave a small smile. Virgil returned the smile with a small one of his own.  
“Let’s get going back to my house then, shall we?” Roman asked, gesturing behind him. Virgil nodded and pulled his hood up.  
Like usual, they made small talk as they walked. Until Roman had a question that has been digging around in the back of his mind for months.  
“Hey, Virge? I have a question.” Roman asked.  
“Oh? Well, I have an answer.” Virgil replied, smirking a bit.  
.  
.  
.  
“Why can I never come over?”

Roman’s question caused Virgil to freeze and tense up. There was no way he could tell Roman that his own brother was abusing his best friend. “I…” He couldn’t speak. Roman picked up on Virgil not wanting to answer and spoke again. “It’s okay, you don’t need to answer. I’m sorry for asking such a personal question.”  
“It’s fine.” Virgil continued walking.  
A few minutes later, Roman came to a stop, gently grabbing Virgil’s wrist and pulling him to a stop.  
“I have another question…” Roman was visibly nervous, his voice wavering slightly.  
“Okay..?” Virgil pulled his hood down, staring at the male in front of him.  
“I uh…  
Ireallylikeyousowillyoubemyboyfriend??”  
Roman blurted out the question, Virgil barely being able to make it out from how fast he spoke.  
“Roman…” Virgil was at a loss for words, so he just smiled and nodded. Roman smiled back and pulled his now boyfriend into a gentle hug. Virgil was afraid of how Remus would react when he found out, but his happiness has forced thoughts of Remus to the back of his mind.  
The embrace lasted a few minutes, and when they pulled away, they both still had a smile plastered on their faces. The two continued their walk to Roman’s house. Once they reached the large, pristine, two-story home, they entered through the front door.  
“Patton! Logan! Virgil’s here!” Roman yelled. No response. “Oh, wait- they’re both at work.” He let out a small giggle and gently pulled Virgil up to his room.  
“Okay! So, I got something for you!” The Prince exclaimed.  
“I’m aware of that.” Virgil replied, a small smirk on his face.  
“Good, now close your eyes.” Virgil complied with Roman’s request, holding his arms out like a small child awaiting his first present on Christmas morning. When he felt the weight of something on his arms, along with the soft feeling of fabric, he opened his eyes. What lay in his arms was a white patch-work jacket with red patches attached with golden threads. It perfectly matched the one he was wearing.  
“Ro, did you make this?” Virgil asked, eyes wide as he looked up at him. Roman nodded. “With some help from Patton, of course, but yes.” He cleared his throat. “I know you like a lot of darker colours… I was going to make a black and blue one, but I thought-”  
“Roman, this is perfect. Thank you.” Virgil cut Roman off by giving him a hug. He wanted to try it on, so he rid himself of his normal jacket, revealing the fact that he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt underneath his jacket. Roman noticed and stopped Virgil before he could put the jacket on.  
“Wait a minute…” Roman started. Virgil noticed Roman staring at him, mainly at his arms, how they were covered up and not visible.  
“What?” Virgil felt his heart-rate increase dramatically.  
“Let me see your wrists, Virgil.” Roman said sternly. This caused Virgil to go into panic mode.  
“R-Ro.. I don’t think-” He was cut off.  
“Please, Virgil…” Roman felt tears come to his eyes, but blinked them away, not liking the feeling of crying.  
The coaxing went on for a minute before Virgil broke down, falling to his knees as he held back sobs like always.  
“Virge…” Roman knelt down next to him. “Please… I just need to know you’re okay... “  
Virgil complied and carefully rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arms. Roman gasped quietly at all of the bruises and scars, some fresh cuts and scabs as well. “Virgil, did you do this all yourself?” Virgil shook his head no. He began to think.. Maybe this could be his ticket out of that Hell-hole.  
“Who…” Roman was almost afraid to ask. “Who did this…?” He pulled Virgil into a hug, just now realizing how thin the poor boy was. He felt his heart shatter in his chest seeing the boy he loved in shambles like this.  
“R-Re…” Virgil voice was broken and quiet. “R-Re..m-mu-mus…”  
Roman’s eyes went wide. “My.. My brother?” ‘My BROTHER did THIS?!’ He thought to himself. He could feel Virgil nod into his shoulder. Roman had a realization. “So.. That’s where you’ve been the last three years…”  
Roman stood up, gently pulling Virgil with him. Roman had visited Remus many times the past three years, not once did he know Virgil was living there. He knew exactly where to go…  
Heading out of the house, Roman dragged Virgil along to Remus’ house. “You’re packing your things and coming to live with me, okay?” He looked back and saw Virgil nod. Once they reached Remus’ house, Roman began banging on the door. “REMUS! LET ME IN, NOW!” He yelled. Virgil flinched and pulled his hand away from Roman’s and stepping back a bit.  
A few minutes later, Remus opened the door, reeking of alcohol. “Hey, bro- Oh.” His drunken smile turned into a glare that could kill when he spotted Virgil. “What’s he doing with you? He’s supposed to be in his room.”  
“He came to meet up with me. Now that I know how shitty you’ve been treating him, he’s living with me.” Roman pushed past Remus and into the house, taking in the sight of the almost rotting interior. It was so much worse than the last time he had visited a year or so ago. He turned to Virgil, also keeping an eye on Remus. “Go ahead and pack your things.”  
Virgil nodded and headed towards the stairs, but stopping when he heard a gentle lull of some lo-fi music coming from Janus’ room. ‘I can’t leave him here…’ Virgil thought to himself and, instead of going upstairs to his room, he went to the first door in the hallway and began knocking frantically. There was no response so Virgil began to panic. After another minute of no response, he opened the door, seeing Janus sleeping peacefully on his bed.  
Virgil ran to his side, shaking him awake and pulling him into a hug. “Who is this?” Roman asked from the doorway. He knew this was the wrong time to be jealous, but he couldn’t help it. “Janus, he’s like my brother. You met him once in school…” Roman nodded and looked at Janus. He didn’t have a single scratch on his body from what he could see, and he seemed a bit on the heavier side, obviously well-fed, unlike Virgil. Remus had a favourite.  
“Hey, bro… What’s up?” Janus sleepily asked, rubbing his eyes and wrapping his arms around Virgil.  
“Roman’s here. We’re leaving.” Virgil looked to Roman as if to ask, ‘Can he stay with us, too?’ Roman nodded. “Get your things packed, Jan.” He pulled away and looked back down at Janus and then to Roman. “Stay with him, please.” With that, Virgil ran out of the room and upstairs to his own room. He pulled out a bag from under his bed and began to find clothes and other personal belongings to stuff into it.  
Everything was going good until he heard his door shut and lock, and Remus’ heavy footsteps come up behind him. Virgil felt his heart stop when Remus spoke. “What do ya think you’re doin, punk?” His slightly slurred speech added to the horror.  
Virgil gathered the courage to turn around and face Remus for the first time. “I’m packing so I can leave this house, and your sorry ass behind.” He knew he would regret saying those words as soon as they left his mouth, but he stood his ground even as Remus advanced towards him. He felt confident in himself until he was pushed to the ground with so much force, that when his head hit the ground, he blacked out for a moment.  
His vision was blurry and his hearing was fuzzy and muffled when he came-to. “You little shit, you don’t talk to me like that!” Remus yelled. Virgil was struggling to catch his breath from the impact with the ground when it was knocked back out of him. Remus kicked him as hard as he could in the stomach.  
Virgil coughed and wheezed, struggling to get air back into his lungs before the next kick came, and the next, and then the next. It didn’t end until he had nearly passed out from the lack of oxygen. There were small puddles of blood next to and under his head from coughing up blood. He was even more scared than any other time. His hearing and vision were still off, but he could hear someone shouting behind the door, and the sound of said door being broken from its hinges and lock brought him mostly back to reality. Virgil could feel every single nerve that was in pain double and feel worse, nearly causing him to cry out. Instead, he could uncontrollably sob on the floor. He no longer felt the kicking, it had stopped.  
Virgil felt someone pick him up. He was too weak to fight against them, so he let it happen and held onto them as tight as he could.  
“Janus, let’s go. We’ll just get him some new clothes later. We need to leave.” Roman spoke, finally letting the tears fall as he held his sobbing boyfriend in his arms, not caring if there was a bit of blood on his clothes. Clothes were replaceable, after all. People aren’t.  
“I’m so sorry I put you through this again, Virge… Patton’s gonna pick us up, okay?” Roman spoke quietly, carefully walking down the stairs.  
Virgil, just now figuring out he was in Roman’s arms, nodded and continued to hold onto him as tight as he could. A few minutes later, he felt himself being placed in the back of a car. He felt that car start moving. As it moved, he was brought back to his senses. When he was finally able to look around and make out his surroundings, he looked around and saw he was in Patton’s car, an old 2007 Honda Civic with an adorably decorated interior. He had gotten a few rides to and from work in this car. Virgil saw Logan driving and Patton in the passenger seat. He looked as though he had been crying. In the back, he noticed he was held on Roman’s lap, his head against Roman’s chest. Janus was sitting on the other side of the back-seat, head leaning against the window, sound asleep.  
“Virge..? You okay now?” Roman asked, looking down at the pale, somewhat shaking boy. Virgil looked up at Roman and nodded. “I-I’m f-fi-fine…” He spoke in a small, broken voice.  
“It would be wise of you to not speak for the time being, Virgil. Save your breath and focus on your senses for now.” Logan spoke from the front seat, looking back through the mirror. Virgil nodded and kept himself against Roman’s warm body.  
“We’re taking you to the hospital, okay?” Patton said, reaching back and grabbing Virgil’s pale hand with his own, slightly tanned one. Virgil didn’t answer and just held onto Patton’s hand, closing his eyes and savouring the touch he was deprived of for so long. Soon, he fell asleep.

When Virgil woke up, he was in a very uncomfortable bed with a very thin blanket over him. He was cold, freezing even. The smell was making him feel dizzy even though he was laying down, and the light only made the dizziness worse. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked around the room.  
After a minute of taking in his surroundings, he noticed two people standing to one side of his bed, both male, and then a female sitting in a chair on the other side. It took him a moment to realize who they were, but when realization struck…  
“M-Mom…? D-Da-Dad…?” Those were the first two words that had come out of his mouth. The woman beside him, his mother, looked up at him from her hands. Tears instantly filled her eyes. She grabbed onto his hand and held it, placing a gentle kiss on it as she sobbed.  
“Virgil, sweetie… We missed you…” His mother said, gently pulling him into a hug. Virgil flinched and pulled away. “S-Sorry…” Guilt laced into his mothers voice. He forced himself to sit up and hug the woman he honestly never thought he would see again. He realized she had changed quite a bit. Her once raven-black hair was now grey. Her smooth face was full of wrinkles, and she seemed to have lost a lot of weight. As he hugged her, he looked over at his father. His hair was grey as well, and he seemed to have lost a lot of weight since the last time they had seen each other, too. He motioned for his father to join the hug, which he did. The three of them cried in each others arms for a while.  
Virgil explained everything to them in a span of three minutes, not going into a lot of detail when it came to the things Remus had done to him. He was happy to hear that Remus was in jail and would be on trial in a few months.  
Then, he realized Roman was standing in the corner, happily watching the family reunion. “Princey..” Virgil gently pulled away from his parents. Roman walked over to him, gently taking Virgil’s hands in his own. Suddenly, Virgil pulled his hands away from Roman’s and pulled him down by his shirt and the back of his neck, kissing him. Roman was hesitant at first, but melted into it as soon as he realized what was going on.  
Virgil’s parents watched from next to them. After a minute, they looked at each other and left the room, giving the two boys some privacy. Not long after that, Virgil and Roman had to pull away for air. Roman sat next to Virgil on the bed and pulled him into a hug.  
“So, Princey, how long was I out?” Virgil asked.  
“A few days. You were exhausted. Doctor said it seemed you had many nights of restless sleeping or no sleep at all. So, you slept for a while.” Roman messed with some of Virgil’s hair.  
“What about Janus? Is he okay?” Virgil pulled away and looked up at Roman.  
“He’s been signed up for therapy to help with this. You will be, too.” Roman replied. “You’re gonna need it after so much trauma.”  
“Well, at least I’ll be with people who actually care now.” Virgil said with a small chuckle.  
“I heard that.” Janus spoke from the doorway, leaning against the frame with a small smirk on his face.  
The three of them began talking, Virgil’s parents coming back in at some point, Logan and Patton joining in later as well. They were all glad Virgil and Janus were free from Remus now. Virgil was more happy about being reunited with his parents. 

In the end, it was all better.

Virgil started therapy. He had nights were he would wake up screaming from an all-too-real feeling nightmare, but he would be okay when he heard Roman’s quiet whispers and feel Patton’s gentle touch, Logan’s firm, yet warm hand on his shoulder, and Janus’ arms around his waist. It was all fine, he was fine.

Until...


	2. Chapter 2

It’s been two months. 

Two long months to Virgil. They seemed to go by slower than before, and he didn’t quite understand why. There were many things he didn’t understand. He often thought back to a few months prior, when everything was like Hell to him. Virgil thought all of that was normal for a time, but slowly grew to understand that it was nothing close to normal as the years went on. Right before he was taken from his “best friend”, he realized his life was nowhere near normal, and, if anything, it was almost seen as disgraceful by some. 

Virgil’s case had been the talk of the town, seeing as nothing really happened there. Some people he used to know from school who had never left town - not having anything better to do than to harass those who were just minding their own business - had come up to him and told him he deserved it, that he deserved all those years of pain and suffering. They never gave a reason as to why, they just said it as they passed him on the streets. Most of those people were either homophobic or crazy drunks with nine or more kids. They were all entitled either way. 

All of their words hadn’t helped Virgil at all. In fact, they only worsened his mental state.

Currently, Virgil was sitting on his bed, hot tears streaming down his face as he once again relived that last day with Remus. When he had these kinds of moments, he usually didn’t let anyone into his and Roman’s shared room. No one had completely understood why they weren’t allowed in the same room as him sometimes, but no one questioned it because they thought he just wanted to be left alone to sort out some things. In a way, yes, that is what he was doing, but in a more mental-breakdown-ish way.

Virgil used the sleeve of his jacket - the one that Roman had gifted him - and wiped away the tears, laying down on the soft sheets, pulling the fluffy comforter over him as he cried some more. He let his arm fall off of the bed to reach down and grab his headphones from the floor. Once he had them back up on the bed, he plugged them into his phone and put them over his ears, turning on one of his many playlists that usually calmed him down and helped him sleep. Even if it was two in the afternoon, he was set on taking a nap. And so he did. 20 minutes into listening to music and holding back sobs, he fell asleep. However, he wasn’t aware about the all-too-real nightmare ahead of him. This time, it felt more real than before.

Virgil woke up, even more tired than when he went to bed. He groggily looked around, not recognizing the room he was in at first. He rubbed his tired eyes and looked around again, the blurry room coming into focus a few minutes later. He was immediately awake and alert.

The reason Virgil was so on-guard was because he woke up in his old bedroom, the room he was almost always forced to be in when he lived with Remus. He took in the musty smell of the room, almost as if it hadn’t been touched in months. It had, though. On the desk was a steaming cup of coffee. He picked it up and took a whiff of it, it smelled like vanilla, his favourite. He placed it back down, not wanting to take a drink and the bitter drink end up being laced with something.

Sighing, he sat back down on the bed for only a moment before he heard something that sounded like thunder erupting from downstairs. It took him a moment to realize it was the sound of things being tossed and a furious Remus. Out of instinct, Virgil got up and hid in his closet, making sure his jacket was tightly wrapped around him. Once he did this, all he had to do was wait for Remus to storm into his room and tear him from the small box he called a closet.

That is exactly what happened. 

Around two minutes later, Remus kicked the door in, busting the lock and breaking part of the door frame in the process. He had blood running down his arm from a large gash in his shoulder, a large piece of glass sticking out of it. He was wearing a tank top so it wasn’t really hard to see. Virgil cringed when he looked through the crack in the door, seeing the puddle of blood being formed on his carpet that he would have to clean up later once Remus had passed out on the couch. 

Remus looked around the room, not seeing Virgil, which only made him grow even madder. He let out a yell that sounded like one of pain, but it was really one of pure, excessive rage. He knew exactly where to look, too. Remus’ green eyes looked straight into Virgil’s deep brown ones, causing a pit of panic to bubble in Virgil’s chest. With every step Remus took, Virgil only felt that panic grow stronger and grab hold of him. 

Virgil could feel his chest tighten as his rapidly increasing heartbeat could be heard drumming loudly in his ears. He pushed it down as best he could, trying to make sure he didn’t get into any more trouble than he was already in. As the closet doors were ripped open, the dams in Virgil’s eyes had been broken, letting tears fall freely. No matter how hard he tried to stop them, he couldn’t. This only angered Remus more, if that was even possible.

“YOU WORTHLESS SON OF A BITCH!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!” Remus yelled as loud as he could, picking Virgil up by his hair and dragging him out of the closet.

“I-I’m s-so-sor-ry, pl-plea-please stop!” Virgil pleaded with every last drop of energy that he had inside of him.

“Like I would do THAT!” Remus threw Virgil across the room, the frail boys back hitting the wall with a loud thud. Virgil thought he felt something crack from the impact but wasn’t sure if it was the wall or a bone. When he collided with the wall, it knocked all of the air from his lungs, so he sat there, struggling to breathe for a minute or so.

“Get up.” Remus spoke in the most calm manner Virgil had ever remembered him talking in. When Virgil realized he couldn’t move he only panicked more. Remus saw he wasn’t moving and thought, ‘This little bastard-’ His thoughts were cut off by Virgil coughing violently. When he looked, he saw a small puddle of blood that had formed. 

Virgil, who was now laying on his side, was absolutely sure he was going to die right then and there, but those thoughts subsided for a moment when he looked up at Remus. Through his blurry vision, he could barely make out the man he once thought of as a best friend, the man he once loved. However, the look in Remus’ eyes showed that he almost seemed.. Guilty? Remus blinked and the guilt immediately faded.

Once Virgil was sure there wasn’t a single ounce of guilt in Remus’ eyes, he realized how much pain he was in from the impact of the wall against his back. His entire back hurt, and he felt numb, he couldn’t move. He coughed again, trying to curl in on himself but not being able to.

Remus once again picked the boy up by the collar of his shirt and yelled, “I SAID GET UP!!” He used his free hand to punch Virgil in the gut, causing him to cough up and struggle to breathe for a few minutes. Remus threw Virgil onto the ground again, smirking when he heard him groan in pain.

“Now, are you gonna get up, or not?” Remus glared down at the pale, bruised and bloody boy who looks like he was so close to giving up. 

Virgil tried to get up, but ended up only being able to move his upper body. When he tried to move his legs, he couldn’t feel them at all. From his waist, all the way down to the tips of his toes: Nothing. He internally panicked, knowing he was paralyzed. He wasn’t sure if it was temporary or permanent, but the thought of it being permanent made it worse.

Without any warning, Virgil was kicked. “I’ve had it with you!” Remus yelled down at him. “You never do anything you’re told to! You’re never home on time! You’re always ignoring me and disobeying me! Janus isn’t here to help you anymore, so just stop fighting what you deserve, you ungrateful little slut! You’re a disgrace to this world and your family! It’s a wonder they want you back at all!” With every sentence came another kick.

Poor Virgil was then laying down, curled in on himself to the best of his abilities, and sobbing uncontrollably. ‘It’s not true, Virgil. None of it is true… Just ignore it…’ He thought to himself. He was laying with his eyes closed so he couldn’t see what was about to happen. He could still hear, though.

“I might as well just put you out of your misery, huh? You poor, pathetic little bitch.” Remus spoke in a quiet, menacing tone as he kneeled next to Virgil. The boy still had his eyes closed, too afraid to open them. Upon hearing Remus’ words, he squeezed them shut tighter. 

Remus pulled a pocket knife from his pocket and flipped it open. It made a small sound that both of them were very used to hearing from being in situations very similar to the one they were currently in. Remus used the blade to cut through Virgil’s clothes. Virgil’s jacket was zipped up, so Remus sliced it open with ease. Next came his shirt, which was also very easily sliced up. Underneath that, was Virgil’s bare chest and stomach.

His chest was littered with small scars and new, dark bruises, along with healing ones. His stomach was no different, along with his arms. You could say he was literally Remus’ punching bag.

Virgil shivered a bit when he felt the cold blade press against his stomach.

“Say goodbye, Virgil~”

He felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and then everything went dark and quiet.

Virgil shot up in his bed, falling off from the haste of his movements. He hit the floor with a loud ‘thud’ that seemed to resonate throughout the room. 

Roman and Logan were sitting downstairs in the living room, debating over some random topic, when they heard the thud. Roman began to panic a bit and ran upstairs, Logan consoling him as he followed quickly behind.

When they reached Roman and Virgil’s room, they knocked on the door hurriedly. “Virge? Are you alright?” Roman spoke worriedly. The two of them heard footsteps as Virgil made his way to the door. The Emo unlocked it and slowly opened it, looking out at the two.

Roman and Logan could tell he had just woken up from a nightmare, but wouldn’t push unless Virgil was ready to share.

“I-I’m fine, sorry if I scared you..” Virgil stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. He had left his phone and headphones on the bed so he didn’t have to worry about carrying them around.

Roman engulfed the pale boy in a hug. “It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re alright.”

“I am also glad you are alright.” Logan spoke, fixing his glasses as he stood, watching the two. He fought back the urge to give a small smile. He had to admit, being around Patton had brought out a side of him he didn’t know he had.

“Can we go for a walk, Ro?” Virgil quietly asked once he pulled away.

Roman gave a small smile. “Of course we can.”

Ever since the “Incident”, which is what they have all decided to call it, everyone has been worried about Virgil specifically. He barely left home, and he never went anywhere alone. They will give him his space if he needs it, but they still won’t let him out of their sight. Virgil has agreed to it, and he’s gotten used to always having someone with him so he wasn’t super paranoid.

Janus, on the other hand, they weren’t too worried about. He was always allowed to go out when he lived with Remus, and he was always given money to do things since he could never get a job. Because he never had to do anything, it made him lazy. Once he and Virgil moved in with Roman and the others, things quickly changed.

Since there were five of them living together, things weren’t as bad as before. Virgil, when living with Remus, had to do everything. He had to do everyone’s laundry, clean their rooms (which was pretty disgusting sometimes), do the dishes, make meals… He had to do everything. He even had to clean up the messes that Remus made when he trashed the place.

Now that Virgil and Janus were safe, they changed a lot.

Janus began to ask if he could help around the house. He even got into the local community college. He started to take care of himself a lot more instead of sitting in bed all day doing nothing but watching YouTube or playing video games.

Virgil, on the other hand, was the total opposite.

All of those years of fighting back and being the only person to do anything had caught up to him. He was stressed and sleep deprived when he first moved in, and he kinda stayed that way. Of course, he got a little better, but everything was still weighing down on him.

After three years of cooking, cleaning, and fighting for his life, he finally crashed. The first week, he forced himself to help with the cooking and cleaning, and he was extremely paranoid. Whenever someone raised their voice, he would shrink and fold in on himself. Even if they apologized, Virgil still felt extremely uncomfortable.

Once that first week was over, he started to realize he didn’t have to do everything anymore. Instead of cleaning, he relaxed on the couch and read a book or played a game he hadn’t played since high school. Instead of staying awake all night, wondering about and fearing the next day, he finally slept. He slept for a good 36 hours at least, once he managed to sleep. And instead of cooking, he enjoyed sitting at the dining room table, or on the couch, taking in the smell of Patton’s cooking. Virgil even helped Patton bake sometimes. 

The bad thing about it was… Virgil wasn’t eating much. He was so used to eating basically once or twice a week that he would barely touch his food when it came to having dinner with everyone. He would just stand up and excuse himself and go hide in his and Roman’s room. Of course, everyone was concerned at first, but they realized he just needed time to get used to it.

Virgil walked down the stairs and sighed quietly. He looked up at the clock that was hanging on the living room wall. ‘5:43 p.m… It’s almost dinner time.’ He thought. Instead of worrying about the time, he went over to the door and slipped his shoes on, looking back and waiting for Roman.

Roman smiled at his boyfriend and walked over to him, putting his shoes on as well. He then gently grabbed Virgil’s hand. Virgil instinctively flinched and pulled back, causing Roman to worry a bit and start to apologize, but Virgil cut him off and slipped his hand back into his boyfriends’ once he had calmed down a bit. He smiled up at Roman and the two made their way outside. 

The two walked silently for about an hour, taking in the cooling air as they watched the sky go from a bright blue to a light orange-ish colour. At some point, Virgil had pulled his hood up to block some of the sunlight that was peaking through the gaps in between the houses. 

At some point the two of them had come across the nearby park. Roman looked down at Virgil and asked, “Would you like to go sit on the swings?” Virgil gave a small smile and nodded. “Sounds nice,” He replied, pulling Roman along with him as he headed towards the swings. Virgil sat down on one of the swings, letting go of Roman’s hand, letting his hands grip the chains that connected the swing to the frame. Roman did the same, though he felt kind of sad when Virgil let go of his hand.

Roman, when Virgil first moved in, was very worried about him. The boy was covered in bruises and a bunch of different kinds of wounds and scars. There were cuts all over his body, along with burns and scabs. Roman was happy he was able to be by Virgil’s side during his recovery, he was more than willing to stay up with him on his late nights, or wake up with him when he has nightmares, or help him when he relapses and hurts himself.

Roman looked over at Virgil, who was staring up at the sky as he watched the sun set. Roman looked over the boys’ face, which had a few small scars lining his cheeks, one directly under his right eye.

“I’m glad I’m free to do these things again, it’s so nice to be able to chill out and watch the sun set, ya know?” Virgil spoke quietly, swinging back and forth gently. Roman kept his eyes on his boyfriend.

“I’m glad I’m the one you do these things with,” Roman said, reaching out his hand for Virgil to take. 

The Emo looked over and then down at Roman’s hand, gently reaching out and taking it in his. Virgil could feel warmth spread throughout his body and he felt his heart beat faster, something that only happened around Roman. For Roman, it was exactly the same.

The two of them were swinging, laughing and talking for close to an hour, it was now dark outside, except a small splash of pink and orange on the horizon. The moon casted a pale light over them, over the streets, and the sky was filled with millions of little stars.

Roman slowly stood from his swing, looking up at the night sky. He had always admired the beauty of the sky, no matter the time of day, or the weather. He simply enjoyed the light of day and the dark of night.

After a minute, he looked back to see Virgil still sitting on the swing, leaning against his arm, which was wrapped around one of the chains attached to the swing. He had his eyes halfway closed, struggling to keep them open. Roman chuckled quietly before kneeling down in front of him. “Ready to go home, Virge?” 

Virgil nodded tiredly, standing up with the help of his Prince. 

About a half hour later, they returned home. When they went inside, they could smell the overwhelming scent of chicken and rosemary along with mac ‘n cheese and potatoes, one of Patton’s most favourite things to cook. They had the same meal at least once every week, and every other day Logan or Roman would help Patton find something different so they don’t have the same repeat meals every week. 

To Virgil, something felt off as he walked into the kitchen, seeing no one there, the oven and stove turned off, and the food left unattended. The house was eerily quiet, and the air almost felt still. Virgil looked off to his side at Roman, who seemed to have noticed that everything seemed off as well.

Suddenly, the power cut out there was a loud thump behind Virgil, so he turned around only to see Roman sprawled out on the floor, unconscious in the little light that was coming from the windows. Virgil felt his breath hitch and his body tense up as he heard a very familiar, dark giggling coming from the shadows of the house.

“Oh, Virgie~ It’s so good to see you again!” 

Virgil’s eyes widened and he could feel his body begin to shake, his knees feeling like jello as he watched Remus step out from the shadows. Remus looked down at his twin and kicked the unconscious man’s side. A grunt was heard coming from Roman as he curled in on himself, still out cold.

“Wha- How did you- I-” Virgil couldn’t put together a proper sentence, fear quickly overtaking most of his senses. Remus quickly turned to him once he heard his voice, his glare enough to make Virgil want to vomit.

“Virgie~ Did I say you could talk?” Remus grinned evilly. 

Virgil gave no response.

“Answer me!” Remus yelled.

Something struck in Virgil, his confidence rising to its highest point as he said, “No, I don’t think I will.” He stood his ground. 

Remus seemed shocked at first, his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape in bewilderment. He shook his head slightly, snapping himself out of whatever bewildered trance he was in, and took a step forward towards Virgil.

Even though his knees were still feeling like Jell-O, Virgil continued standing his ground to his abuser. “Where are Logan, Patton and Janus?” He managed to keep his voice steady as he spoke, anger welling deep inside of him.

“Oh, them? Well~” Remus chuckled darkly. “They’ve been - as Logan would say - compromised.” His dark grin returned as Virgil’s eyes grew wide again.

Virgil’s mind shut down as the only thought that ran through it was ‘He’s lying! They’re okay!’ He could feel himself hyperventilating as his knees buckled beneath him. Virgil hit the ground, feeling himself grow increasingly dizzy at his lack of air. The only thing he could feel was an all-too-familiar feeling of guilt and sadness. His world was quickly going in and out of dark and light as his eyes threatened to close on him. 

He could see Remus with a small hint of guilt in his eyes as he let out a whimper, unknowingly whispering out, “Help me, please..” Remus’s grin faltered for a moment but it stayed still. Steady sobs wracked through Virgil as Remus came closer to him. As the taller man kneeled down next to him, Virgil tried to move, to push himself away, but he didn’t have the strength to do anything but keep his eyes open. 

Remus pulled Virgil close, holding the shaking boy steady. He kissed the top of Virgil’s head, running his fingers through his soft hair. Once Virgil finally gave into the somehow comforting hold of his ex-captor, he closed his eyes and allowed the darkness inside of him to finally take over.

The next morning, Virgil woke up in his and Roman’s room. He was confused, thinking that the previous night had just been a nightmare. He sat up and looked around the familiar room and finally looked next to him, seeing Roman sleeping peacefully. Virgil panicked just slightly and shook Roman awake, not caring what time it was.

It took a minute, but Roman eventually blinked, his eyes slowly opening, looking up at Virgil in confusion. “Virgil? What’s wrong?” Roman’s tired voice asked as he sat up. Virgil felt relief flow through him that Roman was okay, but was still worried about the other two.

Virgil’s eyes grew a bit wide and he then got up, dragging Roman with him, as he made his way to Logan and Patton’s room. He quietly opened the door, a confused prince standing behind him as he held his panicked boyfriend’s hand. Once the door was open, Virgil saw Logan and Patton sleeping peacefully, cuddled up with each other. The anxious boy let out a sigh of relief at that and then closed the door, turning around to go to Janus’ room.

Before he could make his way down the hall, Roman pulled Virgil to a stop. He was confused and worried about his boyfriend and wanted to make sure he was okay. “Virge, what’s wrong?” He asked again, his voice laced with worry.

“Need to check… Talk later.” Virgil’s tired voice was quiet as he resumed his walk down the hall. He made it to his younger brother’s room and gently opened the door. Janus was laying in his bed, sleeping. He held an xbox controller in one of his hands, his phone in the other. Virgil gave a slight chuckle at that and walked over to Janus, taking his phone and plugging it in, sitting it on his nightstand. He took the controller from his other hand and then watched as Janus unconsciously reached out for it. 

Virgil replaced the controller with a small stuffed animal he had gotten for him when they first moved in there. It was a plush fox. He smiled as Janus pulled it closer to himself and cuddled into his blankets, a small smile making its way onto his face. Virgil brushed some hair out of his face and then turned around, turning the tv off as he placed the controller on the dresser.

He then looked back to the doorway where Roman stood. Virgil walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, leading him back to their room. Once they were both back in bed, Virgil explained everything to Roman, who held him close. They both soon fell asleep, and Virgil knew he was safe and nothing was going to be able to hurt him as long as he was there with Roman and the others. He knew they’d risk their lives to protect him, and that’s why he loved them.

Days went by, then weeks, months, years; There wasn’t a single word from Remus. Well, except once when Remus showed up to genuinely apologize to Virgil, but he was punched in the face by the boy he held captive for years. He took it as what he deserved and left, never showing up again after that.

Virgil was finally happy. Of course, he still had his moments, but he was so much better than he was. This made the others happy, especially Roman and Janus. The 5 of them were pretty much a big, happy family.

However, Virgil would always have the scars and the memories to remind him of the years he spent suffering at the hands of his once best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm really sorry it took so long to get this second part out! I lost interest in it for the longest time, along with being very busy with babysitting my niece and school and whatnot, but I've finally finished it!   
> I really hope you guys enjoyed it :) and thank you so much for reading my dumb little story that me and my partner decided to roleplay at 3 in the morning.  
> Love you guys!  
> -Ethan <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying my dumb idea that I had with a friend while roleplaying at 3 a.m.!


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